


Information Highway

by WickedWon



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Fluff, Happy Ending, Identity Issues, Light Angst, M/M, Minor swearing (because Hank), Soft Connor (Detroit: Become Human), Soft Hank Anderson, minor mentions of past abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-12
Updated: 2020-07-12
Packaged: 2021-03-04 21:47:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25213405
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WickedWon/pseuds/WickedWon
Summary: Connor casually mentioned mid-conversation that he loved being a cop, Hank asked with a dismissive shrug, “How do you know? You’ve never done anything else.”Brows furrowed and one side of his mouth pinched back into a deep frown as Connor tried to articulate his suddenly very conflicted feelings on the subject. He finally agreed, “I’ve never thought about that, I suppose, but you’re right. This was my programming and my assignment, I do love it, but I’ve never experienced anything else to compare it to.”... 9 days later, Connor, Hank and Sumo set off on a trip to gather all the comparisons he could hope for.
Relationships: Hank Anderson/Connor
Comments: 8
Kudos: 31
Collections: New ERA Discord: Reverse Big Bang





	Information Highway

**Author's Note:**

  * For [GoldenDaydreams](https://archiveofourown.org/users/GoldenDaydreams/gifts).



> This work was a collaborative effort with the incredibly talented GoldenDaydreams, for the amazing community of the Detroit: New Era Discord and the Birthday Big Bang. 
> 
> I can’t thank Golden enough for the help and the beautiful illustration for this work!

It was a slap in the face. Nothing meant in a cruel way, it was landed by Hank after all. But it was the verbal equivalent of Connor’s efforts to stir the Lieutenant after that drunken night a little over 2 years ago now. An unwelcome but necessary wake-up call.

The two were headed to a crime scene on a chilly morning and when Connor casually mentioned mid-conversation that he loved being a cop, Hank asked with a dismissive shrug, “How do you know? You’ve never done anything else.” 

Connor’s mouth opened and closed several times, but a pinpoint of truth deflated each thought with a ‘pop’ before they could be voiced into words. 

When Hank finally glanced over to see his life and work partner’s processors working overtime with the realization, doing a double-take to confirm the bright red of his LED reflecting in the passenger window, he backpedaled. “Hey, hey, don’t short out or some shit, I just meant you don’t exactly have a lot of diverse experience to draw from, that’s all.”

Brows furrowed and one side of his mouth pinched back into a deep frown as Connor tried to articulate his suddenly very conflicted feelings on the subject. He finally exhaled a short puff of heated air out his nose and agreed, “I’ve never thought about that, I suppose, but you’re right. This was my programming and my assignment, I _do_ love it, but I’ve never experienced anything else to compare it to.”

The subject gnawed at him. He was distracted for the rest of the day and when they returned home that evening, it still weighed heavily on his mind. Hank stared at him, arms folded as he awaited the oven timer to signal his dinner being ready. “Connor your LED’s been yellow most of the afternoon. I didn’t mean to upset you, why is this eating you up so bad?”

Connor sat forward, cautiously eager to discuss the subject. “I’ve been doing a lot of research and I think I want to experience more diverse things. Find out what it’s like to be someone different from who I am.”

“You can’t be someone you aren’t, Con.”

“I don’t want to be someone I’m not, but I don’t want to just blindly be what I’m told I’m supposed to be either. You have a childhood and developmental stages and a lifetime of experiences to shape what you become. I have programming and a badge I was handed.”

The points were valid, and if something was bothering Connor, it was Hank’s top priority to help his boyfriend resolve it. The android’s happiness was the most important thing in his world, but solutions to this dilemma weren’t coming to mind easily. Hank also knew better than anyone how Connor could be when he was determined to see something happen though, and he couldn’t avoid his worried half-frown. “How would you propose gaining all of this experience? You gonna quit the DPD and go work for a temp agency?”

“Don’t be silly. There are androids in every employment sector in the US. I imagine I could draw a vast amount of my own insight into their world purely by witnessing their experiences.” 

Crossing his arms and leaning against the doorframe between the kitchen and living room, he asked, “So, what, you’re gonna have a bunch of other androids email you a video of their day or something?”

“Hmm, I don’t believe email, or a day, would be sufficient. Files of that size would be very large. An interface would be the most logical method of data transfer.” 

Hank nodded, somewhere between skeptical and amused, “So you’re gonna give a long handshake to a few androids to, what? Find yourself? I’m not tryin’ to be critical or anything, but, could something like that actually work?”

“Essentially, yes. Probably more than a few other androids, though. I’ve sent a message out across our intranet about an hour ago to see who might be interested in exchanging the experience.”

There it was, the Connor problem solving skills he loved so much. “Anyone respond?”

“One thousand four hundred and eighteen as of this very moment.” Connor smiled, quite the smug excitement showing through as he updated, “One thousand four hundred and twenty two.” Hank blinked silently for several moments, words failing to form for him this time. 

Opportunities for new experiences and broadening his horizons intrigued Connor, but he’d scrap the idea in an instant if Hank wasn’t on board with it. It’s not that he needed Hank’s approval per se, but the human’s presence had always been a compass for him. He admired his experience and insight, envied the ease with which Hank could rely on instinct, and he trusted the man completely. 

“What do you think, if I can make this happen? Will you come with me? I can’t imagine not sharing this time and experience with you.”

Silvery brows raised a bit, and a half-shrug lasted only briefly while Hank considered what the trip would entail. “You know I can’t say no to something that’s important to you, Con. It’s not like either of us has taken many sick or vacation days in years either, I’m sure Fowler will give us the time off. Of course I’ll go.” 

Connor beamed, his excitement growing with the realization that this trip may actually be a tangible vision. 

Smiling, with a bit of a head shake in amazement of his android’s determination, Hank pushed off from the door frame and closed the distance between them, bringing Connor in for a tight hug. He kissed him, and running a hand through the ever-perfect brown hair, Hank chuckled, “Besides, if you lose WiFi in the middle of nowhere, you’d get lost and I’d have to come find your perfect plastic ass anyway.” 

Connor nudged his elbow into Hank hard enough to earn an “Oof” from the man, but sank even further into the hug, nuzzling his face to rest in the just-right height of the human’s neck. Hank was teasing of course, but it was true that he had valuable experience driving across the country. Connor had never even left Detroit.

The following morning, Connor was in Fowler’s office requesting three weeks off, for two, and the next days were filled with trip planning as Connor continued to communicate with androids who wanted to share about their lives, and learn about his. 

Nine days after Hank’s accidental suggestion to expand Connor’s horizons, the car was packed and three bodies buzzed with energy. One focused human checked tire pressure, ensured there was plenty of extra water and Thirium, cash in case of emergency, charging cables were all squared away, etc. It was hard to tell which of the other two were more excited- the android or the Saint Bernard, who both paced with excitement and grinned ear to ear, eager to embark on the road trip. One did drool significantly more than the others, but no one held it against him. 

The meeting points and destinations were all planned out, creating a meandering path that would lead the group along some of the greatest sightseeing highlights of the US, and interacting with a list of androids Connor had filtered down to those he was most interested in sharing the experiences of: 47 in total, although the numbers were subject to change. 

It was quite the literal information highway.   
  


Their first stop was barely outside of their own backyard, a short ride away to Cleveland, Ohio. Connor’s leg bounced up and down, humming along to the radio as they approached their first meeting, conveniently planned for Hank’s lunchtime at a very popular, well rated diner. Three androids would be meeting them at this first stop- a cook and a waitress that worked at the diner, as well as a realtor for a nearby company. 

After they found a shady spot to park Sumo, windows down as well of course despite the edging on cold early afternoon, they headed into the busy establishment. A blonde waitress in a skirt seemed to recognize the duo immediately and excitedly flagged them down before calling out to her manager, “I’m taking my lunch break!” and heading toward them, grin matching Connor’s. 

She grabbed a tray of food on her way to them and, setting it in front of Hank politely, explained “Connor already asked for recommendations and told me what you’d want. I hope you like it.”

“Oh, thank you, it looks delicious!” he nodded in approval, digging into it as Connor and the waitress got right to business interfacing. The other two androids joined the group soon as well, and it wasn’t long before Hank was scraping the bowl for the last remnants of his mac-n-cheese, which he had to admit, was amazing. If Connor was going to allow him to cheat on his diet here and there, he was all the more glad to be along for this trip. 

He’d seen Connor interface with other androids countless times, but there was something different about these exchanges. He mulled it over while he watched the 800’s chocolate brown eyes light up in excitement as the final connection of this first stop, the realtor, pressed her palm to his. 

What couldn’t have been much more than an hour after they’d arrived, Connor was practically skipping as they returned to Hank’s old car, an undeniable buzz of energized happiness in each step as Sumo was roused from his snoozing in the back seat. “So,” Hank began as they got situated into their seats, “How was it?”

The next 4 hours was filled with the experiences- the day to day, the mundane to the incredible- that these people had been willing to share with Connor. The waitress loved her life and her job, her boyfriend and their cockatoo. The cook liked the people he worked with, but he wanted to be more. He’d faced some hardships and persevered. The realtor had fallen into her line of work, but it paid well enough, kept her on her toes and left her free time to focus on her hobbies, which included dressage and jewelry making. 

In turn, Connor had shared some of his life with them. Questions had been asked and answered in a blink, and when Connor spoke about the cook in particular and some curiosity he had about balancing home life with someone you worked with, Hank interrupted. “Wait, so, you’re not telling them personal stuff, like about you and I though, right?” 

“I didn’t tell them anything personal to our relationship, no.”

Hank wasn’t dumb to his boyfriend’s way with words. “ _Them_. Does that mean you’ll be telling others?” 

Connor shrugged. “I don’t know. I guess I can’t predict the kind of questions that may come up. Lots of androids are still unsure about how relationships with humans work, and if I can help them with my experiences there, I don’t know why I wouldn’t?”

“Because that’s not usually the kind of thing you tell a total stranger,” he returned quickly, unable to hide a bit of nervousness at having potentially very private information discussed effectively behind his back. 

“I feel like I now know each of those androids better than any single person I’ve met since I was activated. Other than you, of course.” 

It wasn’t something Hank had even considered, and the more he thought about it, the less he knew what to make of it. Connor had a first-person perspective of the highs and lows, the fears and dreams of those three people in the span of a lunch meeting. They had shared stuff with their ‘handshake’ that may take a human friendship years to evolve into, and all of these others they were to be meeting with would be, too. 

Shifting slightly in his seat, an unwelcome feeling poked the conscience of the older man. Connor was going to be making potentially very deep connections with a lot of people. People who could relate to him in a way Hank couldn’t compete with. He nodded to his passenger. "Makes sense, I guess," he muttered, despite the bit of unease that toyed along his emotions. He sighed after a moment, and added, “I trust your judgement. Just, you know, keep the really personal stuff to a minimum, please?”

“Of course, Hank,” Connor reassured with that billion dollar smile of his as he reached for Hank’s hand, resting their interlaced hold between them while he moved to the cook’s interest in possibly becoming a first responder. 

The remaining first leg of the trip would take them East to Pittsburgh, PA first and then New York, NY, where they’d spend the first night and entire following day. 

There was only one android they’d be meeting in Pittsburgh, but they were someone Connor was very excited to see. She was a veterinarian, and, well, if there were two things on this earth that Connor knew without a doubt that he loved, it was Hank and dogs. 

Sumo was welcomed into the veterinary office as well, and seemed to thoroughly appreciate the treats and hugs he was showered with. They had all of the best goodies and the staff took turns taking each other’s photo with Sumo while the veterinarian told Connor about her past. 

Unlike the previous androids, she spoke a lot of it aloud to include Hank as well, “A habit of the profession,” she smiled at the men while Sumo nuzzled her hand for another treat. “Before the revolution, I belonged to a family that bred Golden Retrievers and just fell in love with dogs. Cats took a while longer,” she admitted with a laugh, “but I’m quite taken with them now too.” She was an AF200, designed to be a caretaker, so it wasn’t an entirely surprising fact that the field came naturally to her, but Connor was curious about her journey after the revolution, so they did eventually interface, expediting some questions each had for the other. The speaking had eaten up a fair amount of the appointment slot she’d generously set aside to meet with them. 

Connor looked like he was going to burst as soon as the interface concluded and he startled Hank out of his daydreaming, shouting suddenly “Hank! There are puppies!”

“Huh?”

The android was textbook kid-in-candy-store beaming. “They have a litter of abandoned little puppies, and she says we can meet them!” 

Spay and Neuter practices had come a long way since Hank was a kid, but there would always be irresponsible people, he supposed, and it occurred to him that Connor hadn’t probably ever even seen a puppy in person. They bid the veterinarian goodbye so she could move on to a client and a vet tech led them to the exercise yards behind the clinic. Within seconds, Connor was sprawled out on his back in the grass, swarmed by wiggly brown and black puppies. 

A full-bodied laugh from Hank brought Connor’s attention over to his human, and he recorded the sight of the burly man, squatted down and gently stroking a tiny puppy while it gave its best efforts to conquer the giant, one gnawed finger at a time. 

Both men could’ve stayed there all day, but the next destination was calling to them and once they were back in the car, Sumo full of treats and situated in the back seat, Hank’s soft lips met Connor’s. “I’m proud of you, Con,” he praised. “I half expected you to try to sneak a puppy out of there with you.” 

“Bold of you to assume I didn’t,” he teased with a raised eyebrow. 

Both laughed but with a knowing pat to Connor’s shoulder, they were back on the road. It was almost 6 hours to New York City and they didn’t want to get in terribly late. 

The hotel wasn't anything fancy, but it was the best place that allowed a giant dog. Once they were settled into the room, Connor accessed his travel bag, removing the case of external hard drives within it. All of these interfaces, the data he was taking on with each, it would catch up with him quickly. He already felt what he assumed was vaguely similar to human tiredness from what he’d taken in today alone, it bogged his RAM and strained his processors. It was nothing detrimental, but still a relief that he’d be able to back up the vast majority of the data, cherry picking and compressing what he wanted to keep in his mind, and storing the rest on the high capacity external drives while he was in stasis. 

“Hank,” he said, as the older man climbed into bed, “Thank you, for this. For coming with me on this trip.”

“I wouldn’t have it any other way, Connor,” he assured in return as he wrapped an arm around the android, bringing him close. He held Connor against his chest, brushing his own cheek along the top of his head and planted a kiss there, feeling the other man smile even without needing to see it. He mentally crossed his fingers that the rest of these days would go so well, Connor’s joy over the trip had his whole heart beaming. 

Sumo hopped onto the bed, draping his chin over Hank’s calf while the rest of him wedged between and around the two men like he’d been doing for years now. He and Hank were snoring almost in unison in no time while Connor sorted file placements before slipping into stasis, reassured by the strong arms that wrapped him, soothed by the little puffs of Hank’s warm breath against his hair. 

The buzz of the iconic city greeted them in the morning with the first meeting scheduled bright and early, arriving with a knock at their hotel door. Another android Connor thought must have the coolest job on earth: a dog walker. Hank and Sumo performed almost identical head-tilts initially when the door opened to an android that looked startlingly similar to Connor, identical almost - only slightly taller and with piercing blue eyes, wearing a stylish black and white jogging outfit and striking hot pink hair. “Damn,” Hank exclaimed equally to Connor nearby and the new arrival once his initial surprise passed. “Pink is a _great_ look!” He meant it, too. 

The dog walked grinned broadly, curtseying with the compliment and patting their hair. Connor excitedly offered a handshake, “Nina, right?” he confirmed before turning to Hank and supplying “She’s going to be taking care of Sumo for us today!”

Moving to invite her into the room, Hank said, “Well in that case, Sumo and I are both glad to meet you!” 

“Likewise!” she exclaimed, extending her hand to shake Hank’s and then offering the same to Sumo, who gladly provided his large paw on the universally known ‘shake’ cue.

Soon after the formalities, Connor and Nina interfaced while Hank packed some essentials for the day and ensured everything Nina would need for Sumo was all laid out. The androids finished just as Hank turned to face them, finding Connor blushing as Nina winked at Hank before ruffling the top of Sumo’s head and departing with “Well, I’ll see you in a couple hours, big guy!”

“Do I want to know?” Hank asked once she’d left.

“There’s a human she’s interested in, so she was just asking how we overcame some initial hurdles.”

“Ah. And do you think you helped her?” Connor shrugged and answered honestly, “I think so. She wasn’t given any social programming to help her integrate, and still has a hard time communicating with humans sometimes, everyone is just intimidated by her. It’s how she got closer to dogs. I gave her some advice and software to try out though, so hopefully it’ll help.” He added after a moment, “Her job _is_ really cool though! It’s just making sure dogs are happy, exercised and safe. The owners though, I don’t know if I could deal with that part.” 

“Can’t wait to hear all about it,” Hank smiled as they headed toward the lobby. 

The itinerary for the whole trip was packed with things both men wanted to do, and New York had a full schedule. Connor wanted to see the Bronx Zoo, one of the last zoos in the world, and had read that the best time to go was in the morning. They were some of the first through the gates and Hank realized that he’d never need a tour guide again as Connor started presenting lengthy facts about each species. 

Enthusiasm highlighted every fact and footstep as Connor went along, and it reminded Hank of the time he’d taken Cole to the space museum. The image was abruptly shaken from his mind when Connor asked, “Did you know that female spotted Hyenas have a pseudo-penis?”

“ _What_?”

“Mmhmm. It also functions as part of the birth canal so when they give birth, they-“

“Nope!” Hank’s hand flew up to cut him off abruptly, “Don’t want to know.”

Connor frowned in disappointment, but withheld further facts on the specific subject as they made their way through the African Animals, stopping to admire each. When they reached the Arctic exhibit, Connor became enthralled with watching the penguins play, supplying streams of facts about the formal looking flightless birds. 

His enthusiasm caught the eye of an android working in one of the exhibits who smiled and waved at the men. “Ooh!” Connor exclaimed, sending a brief ping of information to the worker. Their LED’s dipped yellow back and forth a couple of times before Connor turned and supplied to Hank, “She doesn’t have much time, but she’s willing to interface with me too!” 

The worker nodded a polite “Hi” to Hank as she stepped up and unlocked the barrier separating them to extend her hand to Connor. They interfaced only briefly before she was waving goodbye and headed back to work, leaving Connor smiling even more brightly than before. 

As the next couple of hours passed and they made their way through all of the exhibits, Connor relayed all about the zookeeper’s difficult but fascinating job. She hadn’t been interested in divulging anything about her personal life, which Connor understood completely, but with a whole backstage view of the animal’s care, he now had even more facts to tell Hank as they wove their way through the animal park. 

Hank had to remind him often that they couldn’t spend the entire day at the zoo, but they were ablei to see it all and head toward the exit right on schedule, even with a stop by the gift shop for a penguin sweatshirt that caught Connor’s eye on their way out. 

The next meeting was with a stock broker and then after a late lunch for Hank, Connor had another scheduled with a lawyer. Both went smoothly and neither of the android’s gave much pause for Hank or dallied in lengthy conversation, even with Connor.

“Well that went quickly,” Hank said as they entered the automated taxi. 

“I get the feeling everything in their lives moves quickly,” Connor agreed. “Both of those last two androids, the analytics and cataloging of their jobs, it’s rewarding to them and they both excel in their fields. But I must admit, I don’t believe either profession would appeal to me at all,” Connor confessed as the Taxi headed toward some sightseeing highlights. “One is happily single, and the other with someone as driven and career motivated as they are. But their work takes precedence over everything else, it’s what they live for and love to do.”

Hank shrugged, “Different people find happiness in different ways.”

“I suppose,” Connor agreed, clearly unsatisfied. 

“I’m surprised you seem to find it off-putting? You’re very analytical and dedicated to your job as well.”

Connor frowned, somewhat puzzled by his own reaction. “I’m not sure,” he admitted honestly, letting his frown fall as he leaned into Hank in the back seat of the taxi. Maybe he’d have to think about it for a while. 

As they passed through the iconic city and entered the theater district, a sign caught Hank’s eye and he sat upright with urgency.

Looking around to figure out what had grabbed Hank’s attention, Connor began to question but Hank spoke first. “We’re going to a Broadway show. And no, I’m not telling you which one because I don’t want you looking it up in your head.”

“Those shows are expensive, Hank, and I don’t mind watching things in my head, if it’s something you’ve already seen?”

“Broadway isn’t the kind of thing you can watch on a screen. Trust me, we’re doing this,” Hank stated decidedly as he pulled out his phone to secure tickets. 

A few hours later, after a visit to the hotel to change into the most formal attire the men had brought, as the bright lights illuminated one of the most famous stages in the world and the songs of Rent came alive in front of him, a whole new world of art held Connor like a moth to a bulb. He recorded every moment of it without blinking and when the show ended, he recorded the look Hank was giving him too - a grin so full of happiness and love, the warmth of it could melt the snows of the Zen Garden. 

The men arrived back at their hotel just as Nina was returning Sumo from a long evening romp, and as soon as the pink-haired android saw Connor, she threw her arms around him, exclaiming, “Your advice worked! We have a date scheduled!” 

“That’s wonderful, I’m so happy for you both!” Connor returned as they embraced in the narrow hallway. “I hope you two can hit it off, I’m betting there’s a lot of sweetness beneath their grumpy facade, and they’ll be lucky to have you.” 

“Aww, thanks,” Nina said as she gave an exaggerated nervous, giddy grin. “I’ll let you know how it goes! And you two,” she said while pointing between Hank and Connor, “y’all are my model relationship. You’re just so cute together!” She cupped Connor’s face in her hands, demanding all of his attention and repeated, “Seriously, thank you for everything,” before planting a quick kiss to his forehead, wiggling her fingers to Hank and heading back toward the lobby. 

It was a reminder for Hank of how close Connor could get to these other people so quickly, and evidence of just how much they might be able to help each other. He draped his arm across Connor’s shoulder, bringing him into a half-hug. “Looks like you’ve made a friend.”

Connor laughed as the men headed into their hotel room. “I’ll just be happy to see her happy. I’ll have to tell you some time about how my meeting her model was supposed to go, if CyberLife had had things their way.” 

  
  


The two men and a St Bernard were on the road again first thing in the morning, headed South toward Washington DC. 

First up for the day, they met a professional translator in Silver Springs, Maryland that assisted countless humans with international business deals and correspondences. He was one of the most sought after translators in the world and knew 2500 languages, though he only used 30 or so of them routinely. Impressive as that was however, interpreting his own wife’s behavior was proving increasingly difficult recently. 

He showed Connor some of their conversations, and it didn’t take the 800 long to gather some ideas of what might be bothering the wife. They parted with promises to keep in touch and the traveling trio were off to meet a banker and a couple of federal agents who specialized in counter-terrorism within the IT field. 

While the meeting with the banker went rather uneventfully, the two federal agents had very fascinating jobs. A huge portion of their job was top secret and unable to be discussed at any depth with Connor or anyone else, other than their supervisors. Sadly, their personal life was a flipped mirror image. They were madly in love with one another, with a beautiful relationship and grand dreams for a future together, but had to go to tremendous lengths to hide it from any of their coworkers. Just being able to vent about it in a 3-way interface seemed to be a relief for them though, and they thanked Connor wholeheartedly for the opportunity. 

After touring some of the most historic monuments and doing some shopping in the Nation’s capital, they met a BL100 and her human partner at a bar in Vienna, VA. 

While the two humans enjoyed a beer and some not half-bad bar food, they all chatted aloud about how each had met their partners and how pre-revolution life had been for them. Their stories had many similarities, with each human knowing the androids were alive before they could even admit it themselves, and being willing to do anything to protect the mechanical person they were falling hopelessly in love with. 

Hank hadn’t expected he’d be making any new friends on the trip, but found himself exchanging phone numbers with the other human and genuinely wishing they all lived closer. 

The following day Hank and Connor were on to North Carolina, where a PL600 android who’d been the first to legally adopt the human children of her former owner couldn’t wait to meet them. 

Her three children were polite and respectful but absolutely obsessed with Sumo. The dog fell fast asleep on his back, seemingly in doggie heaven as they fawned over the giant animal, gently brushing and showering him with attention. Hank told them all about proper dog care and wrestled on the ground with the two younger kids when they got a bit too rambunctious for Sumo’s energy level. 

Meanwhile, Connor asked their mother, “So, I understand a great deal of your programming provided the knowledge of technical ‘child care’, but I imagine being a parent goes beyond that? Do you find it difficult to relate to human children?” 

“Some things come easily, others take a bit more creative thinking, and relying on human parent friends to guide me. But that’s common as a human too, I’ve learned. No one has all of the answers, that’s part of being a parent, just doing your best. You love ‘em, protect ‘em, and you feed ‘em well,” she winked as she placed a large plate of food in front of Hank, calling the kids for their lunch as well.

By the time Connor’s curiosity was satiated and they parted ways, Hank was exhausted from the energetic fun, and had been given so much food his stomach ached for the rest of the evening. “Why did you just keep eating?” Connor playfully groused.

“It’s rude to deny food, Con.” He leaned over to emphasize his lack of regrets, “And it was fucking delicious.” 

Connor rolled his eyes, a habit he’d unquestionably picked up from Hank, before his demeanor shifted suddenly to serious curiosity and he asked, “Have you ever considered adopting a kid?”

He half expected Hank to freak out with the question alone, but surprisingly there was only calm honesty in the man’s reply. “I have. Even before Cole was born, adoption was always something that appealed to me. I’ve not really thought about it recently, I’m getting a bit outside of the ideal adopter age. But you’re not, and if it’s something you ever want to seriously consider, I’d be open to discussing the pros and cons of it.” 

Connor was speechless. It had never even crossed his mind, and he wasn't actually considering such a thing on impulse, he was well aware of how serious the topic was. But watching Hank play with the kids that afternoon showed him a side of the man that made perfect sense, and he’d just never had the opportunity to see it in person. “You know, it might be something we talk about, in the future,” he commented as he handed his boyfriend a water bottle from the back seat.

Each day of their journey went similarly. Some of the interfaces were brief and professional, some lengthy and intimate. Some of the android’s were just as eager to meet Hank, some completely ignored him. Some of the places they did a lot of sightseeing, others were simply a location to meet and then it was back on the road.

A nurse in South Carolina gave the human some great advice for his occasional heartburn, a drummer in Atlanta, GA had big plans for his career and his marriage proposal. 

In the small town of Valdosta, GA, a WE900 had recently broken up with her girlfriend and just needed someone to talk to. Connor couldn't relate to a lot of her troubles but tried his best to be supportive. She stroked Sumo’s soft ears while Connor tried to take her mind off of things with some funny stories of the mishaps of law enforcement. 

In Jacksonville, Florida, a property manager side-eyed Hank while they ranted about how gross humans were, and a chemist was at the cusp of some discoveries that could make big waves in the pharmaceutical industry. As most things were, the breakthroughs were initially an accident, human error as it happened, but this android had noted unrelated and potentially groundbreaking side-effects. He was unnecessarily guarded about the topic though, refusing to actually divulge anything specific. 

The next morning, Connor was awe-struck by the whole team of people he met at the NASA space station in central Florida, humans and androids alike. Sending androids, as opposed to humans, into space made more sense for many reasons, but the team’s humans’ extensive training and the androids’ lengthy mechanical and software specializations were truly awe-worthy. He hadn’t even known a team of androids had been modified specifically for the purpose. 

He cried with the Bartender he met in New Orleans, Louisiana. She’d been a Traci that her former owner had bought with a wiped memory on the black market and then kept hidden, locked away even after the revolution. The cruel person had known she was a deviant and that he was breaking the law, she’d pleaded and tried to reason with him, but still he’d demanded unspeakable things from her. 

She apologized, but shied away from Hank even, explaining over the interface that it was nothing personal, humans as a whole still just made her very nervous. 

Her android husband was a fellow RK800, and also still a cop, though was undercover often and had gone through several updates to change his outward appearance completely. He had literally saved her life. He’d discovered her chained in a soundproof room in the deranged man’s basement when a neighbor complained about him mistreating his dogs. She now owned the dogs herself, and treated them like royalty, thank you very much.

In Memphis, Tennessee, a YK500 child android was struggling to accept that her “younger” sister was starting to look older than her. She loved her family and felt supported, but was also deeply jealous and concerned for her future. She wanted to know if, being from Detroit, Connor had any means to request help from CyberLife or Elijah Kamski to possibly upload her into a different body. She was in a unique situation, and Connor sympathized with how complicated it was. She also said a few things that made him question just how eager her “parents” were to see something like that happen, but he figured it wasn’t his place to question that issue. 

He put her in touch with the mother PL in North Carolina, and hoped perhaps she would have better insight and ability to help the YK through her struggles somehow.

Connor laughed with the pilot and the flight attendant he met in Dallas, Tx. The three of them interfaced as a unit and their stories of people they’d met and adventures they’d had were nothing short of hilarious. Not to mention, the places they’d been had Connor exploring travel sites in his head for days and asked Hank to tell him about everywhere he’d been as well- he’d never really had a reason to be curious about the subject before. 

All of these perspectives and backgrounds, they were exactly what Connor had been hoping for. Some confused or surprised him, some he could relate to more than others and the impact each had on him varied. The diversity was the whole point, though. 

Hank was a steady sidekick through it all, genuinely marveling at the things Connor was learning and passing along to him during the long hours on the road from city to town, beaches to farmland meeting poor, rich, happy, sad and every option in between. 

If Hank wasn’t mistaken, despite his boyfriend’s efforts to hide it, it was disapproval, even anger he saw on Connor’s face after some of the interfaces as well. He was always more factual when he talked about those experiences, skirting the personal information and dry in his delivery; almost like he didn’t know what to make of them himself. 

After meeting a casino owner in Las Vegas, Nevada that he seemed particularly unsettled by, both men sat quietly in the car, an unusual silence filling the space. Connor leaned over the console, petting Sumo in the backseat, and breaking the silence after a moment to ask, “Hank, how do you know when it’s ok to dislike someone?” 

A laugh escaped Hank before he stated honestly, “I dislike most people, I’m not sure what you mean?”

Frowning, Connor clarified, “At the DPD, it has always been subjective. People broke the law or did horrible things and it was easy to understand why we wouldn’t exactly want to befriend them. But I’ve met some people these last couple weeks that I just, I’m not sure, I just don’t think I care for who they are, as people. Is that normal?” 

Hank ruffled his hair with a soft smile and a quiet laugh. “Yeah, Con, that's about as normal as being a person gets.”

Later the same evening, an interface with a homeless woman in Las Angeles, California brought another low point to Connor’s trip. The injustice she’d been shown by many, the hopelessness of her situation and her reluctance to consider opening up to a cop. Hank held Connor while he cried in earnest that night, reassuring him that this, too, was a normal part of being alive and apologizing that there wasn’t more they could do. 

They’d given her as much Thirium as Connor could spare and scheduled an appointment, paying in advance for several repairs she was badly in need of. It hardly helped stave the ache of wishing they could help more.

Luckily the similarities and common ground Connor found with a surgeon the following day did much to lift his spirits. They shared the pride and frustrations of the expectation to be perfect. The pressure they put on themselves, in addition to what society and CyberLife had expected from them. 

The surgeon had deviated when their programming insisted they give up on saving a young man’s life, dismissing the dying human as an acceptable casualty of gang-related crime. They described the sensation of the red walls shattering as they fought their programming and fought to save the human. Producing a picture of the young man from his wallet, he proudly stated that he was excelling in school and they met to catch up every few months. 

Similarly, Connor shared the joy of the success story of a felon who’d been given a second chance and turned his life around. His determination to rise above the cards he’d been dealt was inspiring, and he had a lot of questions for Hank specifically, about helping his human best friend overcome some addiction struggles. 

By the time Connor was being loaned a dirt bike after his meeting with a pro racer and stunt driver, and led on a tour of the stunning Lake Tahoe in Northern California while Hank and Sumo waded along the edges of the ice blue waters, Connor grinned ear to ear as the wind whipped around his face. He’d never been on a motorcycle or dirt bike before, but was researching rental places near home less than a mile into the ride. 

In Seattle, Washington, one of the androids Connor had been most excited to meet greeted them by a large metal statue. They were an SQ800, a Military android programmed for combat and callousness, but became fascinated with art after deviating and were now a curator for the Seattle Art Museum.

Hank studied the iconic, colorful images of Marilyn Monroe and a series named “Ladies and Gentlemen” in the Andy Warhol exhibit while Connor and the SQ chatted only briefly before interfacing. It lasted several minutes longer than most of his previous connections, Connor was deeply impressed by the other android’s journey so far from their intended function. 

“Your story is inspiring,” Connor smiled broadly as their transmission ended, though the two remained holding hands. “Thank you so much for sharing it with me.”

The SQ returned the smile, squeezing Connor’s hands as their close moment was maintained beyond the interface. “Thank you as well, I’m so happy you made this happen, and I’m touched that you included me in your journey.”

Watching the exchange from down the hall, nothing filled Hank with more joy than seeing Connor happy. This brown-eyed RK meant everything in the world to him since the moment he’d first introduced himself. Hank had been circling the drain back then and Connor was the android sent by CyberLife to pull him out. 

If Hank could give himself credit for anything though, it was being self-aware. He had a pretty good idea of what was going on in his head, even if he didn’t always care to confront it. And this feeling as he watched Connor, he was well aware it was a pinch of jealousy, a dash of inferiority and a heap of worry, and those ingredients sure made for one shitty tasting cake. It was bitter, and iced with guilt. He’d swallow the taste though, and bite his tongue. 

Connor had given Hank so much, hell, he’d given the _world_ so much- he deserved the chance to explore whatever life had to offer, and Hank would chauffeur him around the globe if that’s what he wanted. Anything to see the android happy. 

But these weeks of connections Connor had been making, they’d been changing him ever so slightly. It made Hank realize how much Connor needed more people than just him and with that fact came the uncomfortable thought that Connor might even grow beyond him. Hank couldn’t compete with these connections. The human felt a lump in his throat but he decided firmly that if Connor began to question what, or who, or _with who_ he wanted to be, well, that would be his problem, not Connor’s. 

He sucked up his worries and smiled while Connor began to fill him in on the SQ’s journey once they were in the car, headed toward Bainbridge Island.

“I can’t even imagine the courage it must have taken, Hank!” Connor exclaimed as they neared the ferry. “They defied _everything_ , and not because they felt some need to rebel or like they’d been wronged in some way, they did it just to follow who they _felt_ they were inside. Isn’t that incredible?” 

Connor looked over at his driver, his partner in everything, his human. And he didn’t know how he hadn’t noticed it before, but he suddenly didn’t like what he saw there, and his thoughts stalled. Hank was smiling and interested, nodding and answering something about how impressive the story was. But the man was sad. He was working hard to hide it, and doing a commendable job at that, but maybe because of the long days and late hour, the smallest lines in his face gave him away. 

Abruptly concerned with nothing else in the world, Connor asked, “What’s wrong?” 

“Hmm? Oh, nothing.” 

“Don’t lie to me, Hank.”

 _‘God damned walking lie detector,’_ Hank thought to himself but voiced aloud only, “Nothing to worry about Con, I’m just tired. That motel bed last night wasn’t great to my old ass. Now go on, tell me more about the SQ.” It wasn’t _technically_ a lie, right? The hotel bed last night sucked and his worries weren’t his boyfriend’s problem. 

Connor wasn’t fooled, he knew this human well and knew something was wrong. But he also knew when to drop a subject. Despite a frown, he settled back into the conversation he’d had with the curator.

The following days brought interfaces with a teacher in Boise, Idaho, a farmer in the middle of nowhere and a winding driveway to one of the few androids they were meeting at a private residence - an architect in West Yellowstone, Wyoming who both men had to admit, owned one of the most spectacular views they’d witnessed on the entire trip. He’d apparently built the place to impress a girl, only to find her in the balcony hot tub a week later with another android.

Later came a chef, a hairdresser and a musician as the road continued to roll out in front of them. Hank was doing a damn good job of acting, but Connor could still see something troubling him. Connor gave his mostly undivided attention to each of these androids, still relaying their tales to Hank, who insisted he wanted to hear them. But the human’s sadness lingered at the edges of his mouth and the way his gaze would extend beyond the road, out into the future, like he hoped the map would lead him somewhere beyond simply the next destination. 

Connor couldn’t come up with an explanation for the man’s behavior and it sat like a rusted lead weight on his chest. Did Hank miss work? Was he bored with this trip? Those things might explain him being a bit irritated, but _sad_? 

He asked some version of, “Is everything all right?” several times, but Hank would always come up with one excuse or another. Not wanting to push him further into the irritation he’d edge on each time Connor would ask, he’d drop it quickly. 

He was made to investigate things, right? He’d figure it out. 

There was a Traci in Fort Collins, Colorado that stayed in her line of work because she loved it and the money was good. Closer to Denver, they met a TR400 and a TW400 that worked together on a construction crew, saved up some money and bought a cattle ranch that was quickly becoming one of the most successful in the region. 

Just outside of Wichita, Kansas, an ST300 had become a delivery driver and was working toward certifications for nursing. Connor greatly enjoyed her personality, and when she realized he was stressed about something, she prodded his concerns about Hank out of him through their interface. 

“I’ll figure it out, eventually,” he attempted to convince her (and maybe himself, too). 

Clearly unsatisfied with his approach, she gently offered, “I wasn’t programmed for investigating humans like you were, but if I could give you some advice that’s been imperative for my human partner and I… you _must_ talk. Push it even if it makes you both uncomfortable and starts a fight. Better to know their angry thoughts than none at all.” 

She was right, and Connor agreed to take her advice and let her know the outcome. When the time was right, he wouldn’t take ‘nothing’ for an answer. 

In the interim, they met a PJ500 in Kansas City, Missouri, a professor of science who travelled the globe giving lectures, precisely as his programming had intended. “I can’t exactly say ‘I’m a natural’ at it,” he joked when Connor asked whether he ever wanted to venture outside of the purpose of his manufacturing, “Perhaps ‘unnaturally good at it’ is more accurate? I love it though, I can’t see myself doing anything else.”

Only a few miles away, the next appointment was a total contrast: An EM400 who'd been designed to entertain children. Except, he couldn’t stand to be around kids, or most people for that matter. He ignored Hank completely while telling Connor about his chosen profession as a structural engineer. 

A fashion designer in St Louis travelled to Paris often, rubbing elbows with the greatest names in the industry. They were smitten with Hank’s “Silver Fox” look and insisted the men stay a couple of extra hours for a photo shoot with his best photographer. Hank changed clothes more times within an hour than he ever had before in his life, but it was the most Connor had seen his human laugh in a week or more, and the designer sent both of them home with some great photographs and a couple of suits worth more than Hank’s entire wardrobe at home. 

His photographer also happened to be an android and when she heard about Connor’s trek, wanted to interface about hers as well. Connor promised not to tell the designer how much she secretly hated most of his designs. 

Illinois brought meetings with a mechanic who planned to try out for the local police academy right away after learning all about Connor’s job, a ballet dancer who was struggling with being accepted and a nanny who was accepted by and loved her family as her own. 

While Connor was telling Hank about the nanny’s family having to hide her for a while during the revolution, eventually moving and how hard they were willing to fight to keep her, he received a message from Nina, the pink-haired RK900 in New York. They’d talked many times since meeting in person, and she’d finally been on her first date with the human she’d told him all about. It had gone even better than she could have hoped, and her giddiness was adorable. After relaying some of the details of the date, she asked how their trip was going. 

Connor struggled momentarily with how to answer, and the slightest lag in his reply had her insisting he tell her everything. He expressed some of his concerns about Hank, and sent video clips of how he’d been acting to her. 

“Use that advanced problem solving shit they gave you and talk!”  
“Talk.”

“To.”

“Your.”

“Man!” Came across in 5 separate messages. Connor sent the equivalent of a digital eye roll to her, this android that was quickly becoming like a sibling to him, but promised to broach the topic with Hank (with determination) as soon as he could. 

As it happened, the opportunity presented itself under the late afternoon clouds in Northern Indiana. It was the final stretch of their trip, only a few hours from home and they’d stopped to let Sumo romp for a bit. Hank sat down in the field, watching the dog bound about. Connor stepped up beside him, eyes following the expanse of grassland flowing out before them. 

“We’ve seen a lot of beautiful places, but these huge, open fields will always be my favorite sight,” Hank said as he stared out at the view.

Connor sat beside him in the grass toying nervously at the hem of his penguin sweater before flopping onto his back to gaze at the passing clouds, the colors of a sunset just beginning to whisper within them. “Hank,” he began cautiously, “Can we talk?” He barely caught the twitch of the human’s jaw muscles in his peripheral, the stutter in his breath was much more obvious. 

A quiet laugh escaped Hank when he realized Connor had caught him tensing at the question. “You know that’s the most feared line in human history, right?”

“Why?” Connnor asked genuinely.

“It usually leads to something like ‘It’s not you, it’s me’ and that kind of thing.”

Connor frowned, his frantic search for a reference supplying nothing but lines from countless jokes and tv shows of people breaking up, which made no sense at all. “I’m sorry, I don’t understand.”

“It’s alright. What did you wanna talk about?”

“I’d like to know what’s been troubling you for more than a week now. Please don’t tell me it’s nothing.”

Hank quietly picked at a nearby grass stem, thoroughly confusing Connor when he stuck the end of it into his mouth as he chose his next words carefully. “I love you, Connor. And I’ve loved this trip. But watching you with all of these people, it makes me question whether I’m the right one for you to be with.”

Connor’s figurative heart sank. “What on earth do you mean?” He asked as he shook his head in disbelief, sitting upright to be level with the human. “Where is this coming from?”

“You can know these people like they’re an old friend instantly, and I can tell you’re learning and growing from all of this, which is great! That was the point. But, wouldn’t you rather be with someone you can connect with in that way? Someone with a better story, someone more impressive than me?”

Without an ounce of uncertainty, Connor responded firmly, “No. Absolutely not.” Shifting to be squarely in front of Hank, Connor took the man’s hand and grasped it firmly within his own. “Hank, how could you possibly think I’d want to be with anyone but you?”

Hank frowned, averting his eyes from the handsome, troubled face seeking answers in his. “I just, I dunno Con, I just think you can do better than me. And sometimes I worry that I’m holding you back from something greater than an old, drunk, fancy worm dinner.”

Connor’s head drew back, brows furrowed. “Did that awful casino owner in Vegas say something to you? He referred to all humans as something like that. Worm food.” 

“No,” Hank admitted, “But one of his bodyguards said something about it in the bathroom. That something as advanced and beautiful as you was wasted on someone like me. And I shrugged it off for a while, but the more I watched you with some of these other androids, I…” He sighed, “You’re amazing Connor, and you deserve better.”

“You’re right.” 

The words caused Hank’s eyes to snap up to Connor’s, before his shoulders sank and he blinked his gaze away, pointedly toward the ground. The tips of gentle fingers raised his chin again, eye-level with his boyfriend, as Connor clarified, “I have learned a lot, and I do believe this trip has indeed affected me. I’ve discovered that being alive is easy for some, and a struggle for others. That it comes with incredibly beautiful personalities, as well as ugly, vile ones, and that it’s ok not to like some of them. You taught me that,” he smiled as he pulled their foreheads together.

He ran his fingers along Hank’s jaw for a moment before continuing, “I’ve learned that it’s possible to change your path, and sometimes it’s worth it even if the path is rough, and people tell you you shouldn’t take it. I’ve discovered that I like penguins and I love watching you with puppies almost as much as the puppies themselves. I think it might be really cool to go into space, and I might have a _slight_ advantage when it comes to motorcycle racing, being programmed to maximize on the physics and all.” He felt Hank loosen against him, relaxing into Connor’s words. “But never, at any point, have I considered any of those things would be better without you by my side.”

“If anything,” Connor added, “meeting a bunch of other androids has only helped me feel more human. There are a lot of things out there that people want, and some of them sound great to me too, but I’d trade any and all of it for you without a second thought. Don’t you ever go thinking there’s someone out there I’d rather be with than you.” 

Hank stared in silence into those warm brown eyes he loved so much. There wasn’t any magic wand making everything suddenly better, but if Connor had experienced so much in such a short amount of time and still felt that Hank was the person he wanted to be with, a weight was lifted from his chest.

Eventually he sighed again, bringing his own hand up to cup Connor’s, still on his face. “I don’t know how, but I’ve ended up as the luckiest man on earth.”

“Hardly,” Connor replied, surprising Hank with more sarcasm than expected, causing the human to tilt his head with confusion. Connor supplied with a completely straight face, “Sumo is rolling in fresh poop. And you can’t turn your sense of smell off like I can.” He stood up, smirking before adding a wink down at Hank, “So much for all of that luck.” 

“Ugh, _SUMO_!” Hank yelled out to the dog, muttering a litany of curses as he stomped toward the gleeful canine and dragged him away from his foul prize. “Way to ruin a moment, dude,” he grumbled to the dog.

After cleaning him up as best they could with dry paper towels, the trio were back on the highway, windows down so Hank could breathe. They determined that bathing Sumo was necessary so they found the nearest self-serve dog wash, blessedly a 24-hour establishment, and made an unplanned stop there for the night. 

It was nearly 1am by the time they were all in a random roadside hotel, and Hank had pulled his back when Sumo tried to take a leap out of the tub. He’d been annoyed and distracted in the car, and then preoccupied by the dog, but he couldn’t shake the earlier conversation and this nagging reminder that it wasn't fully resolved, that there were more things he needed to say. When Hank emerged from the bathroom, he found Connor sitting cross-legged on the bed, situating his external hard drives. 

“You’re sure?” Hank voiced, serious and straight-faced, walking more stiffly than usual toward the bed, thanks to the sore back. “You’re sure you wanna deal with this fragile, old human and his smelly dog?”

“Those things aren’t true,” Connor retorted, “Sumo smells just fine now.” 

A pillow whacked the android in the face, sending him laughing against the mattress. Connor laid giggling under the pillow for a moment before reaching a hand out, feeling blindly beyond the mattress to locate Hank’s leg and tapped it a couple times, bidding “Come here,” as he pulled the human toward him. Shifting on the mattress indicated Hank complying with the request, complete with a guttural huff. 

Once Hank was sitting squarely on the bed, Connor straddled his lap, pressing himself against the man and easing him backwards carefully but relentlessly, ignoring Hank’s exasperated “Connor…” until the human was flat on his back and Connor half covered him, half attached to his side like an animal clinging to a felled tree. Hank rolled his eyes as Connor smirked, proud of his simple victory. 

Shifting himself around until his face was mostly buried in the crook of Hank’s arm, the android sighed deeply, relaxing into him. “You’re my favorite person ever, human or android. I love you and I want you to stop questioning that.”

“Woah, woah,” Hank objected, “I’ve never questioned whether you loved me. Just that you deserve to be in love with someone better than me.” 

“I’m exactly where, and with whom, I want to be,” he replied honestly. 

“Mm,” Hank hummed, finally reassured by Connor’s insistence, he wrapped his boyfriend up against his broad chest, silently appreciating everything the android had taught him, and all the ways he’d made Hank a better man. He planted a kiss to the pale blue of Connor’s LED and asked, “So, do you think you ‘found yourself’ on this trip like you’d hoped? Discovered what you were looking for?”

“I did,” Connor confessed from the comfort of his wedged closeness, “I’ve confirmed that I love my life just the way it is.”

  
  
  
  



End file.
